Oil burner control



May 29, 1934. c. L. WARNER 1,960,519

OIL BURNER CONTROL Filed Dec. 28. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 1934- c. WARNER ,960,519

OIL BURNER CONTROL Filed Dec. 26, 1950 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES OIL BURNER CONTROL Charles L. Warner, Milford, Conn, assignor to Baird-Warner, Incorporated, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 26, 1930, Serial No. 504,734

5 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic cut-offs or safety devices for fuel oil burners or other uses where a safety cut-off is desirable.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved automatically operating means to cut off the supply of fuel oil to a burner should the oil not be ignited when fed to the burner, as for example should be pilot light be extinguished or' should other igniting apparatus fail.

An additional object is to provide means for the purpose stated and which will be positive in its operation and so locked or secured that it will not operate to cut off the supply of fuel due to vibration or shock, such for example as is caused by the passing of heavy motor trucks or street cars, or the like, or blasting in the vicinity, but which will reliably perform its function of cutting off the supply of fuel when such supply should be cut off for reasons of safety.

A further object is to provide a safety device which will automatically operate to cut off the supply of fuel to a burner should fuel become ignited in the wrong place as for example, should it become ignited in the ash-pit of a furnace orbelow the combustion space.

Another object is to provide an automatic cut off for the purpose stated and which is so constructed that the cut-off valve cannot be casually or accidentally re-opened and remain open unless conditions are as they should be.

Yet another object is to provide a means for the purpose stated and which is simple and rugged in construction which may be easily assembled and disassembled, and which is reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the description and drawings are for the purpose of disclosure and that the invention is not limited to the details shown but includes all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims to which reference must be had for a definition of the limitations of the invention.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved cut-off or safety device a portion of a burner being shown to make clear the location of the device relative to the burner, and parts being shown in section to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, parts being shown in section; and

Fig. 3 is a detail View partly in section and partly in elevation showing the location of the parts during their return to normal or set position and just before they reach that position.

Referring in detail to the drawings at 5 is indicated the motor casing of a fuel oil burner, the rotary atomizer of which is shown at 6. The casing 5 is disposed above and supported bya pan or tray '7 having an upstanding flange 8, and which in turn is mounted on suitable legs or uprights 9. It will be understood that the entire burner is supported above the pan 7 and that anyover-flow or leakage from the burner will bereceived in the pan. As shown, the pan has an opening 10 in its bottom wall through which oil received in the pan may pass and this opening ispreferably located adjacent one edge of the pan altho it may be located at any other position if more convenient.

It will, of course, be understood that the cut-oif of the present invention is not limited to use with any particular type or kind of fuel oil burner. The invention as shown is mounted on a valve casing or housing 1 1 which together with its contents is shown, described and claimed in my Patout No. 1,879,596, September 27, 1932. This casing contains a solenoid operated automatic control valve and fuel is fed to the same through the pipe 13 and from the control valve enters the valve chamber 14 from which it flows into the passage 15. Passage 15 through a short passage 16 communicates with the chamber 17 of a valve 18 which is adapted to be closed against the valve seat 19 on the bushing 20.

Valve 18 has a threaded stem 21 passing through a bushing 22 threaded into the casing at 22a and a gland or stuffing box 221: prevents escape ofoil about the stem 21, and it will be understood that rotation of this stem in a counterclockwise direction results in the valve engaging its seat on the bushing 20 whereby to shut ed the flow of fuel into the chamber 1'7. A nipple 23 is in communication with the valve chamber 17 and oil entering the chamber passes out through the nipple and then to piping 24 which will convey the oil to the burner, the other connections not being shown. The valve casing 11 carries the operating parts of the improved cut-off or safety device and the casing is bolted or otherwise secured to the pan 7, the casing beings'hown as having a lug 25 clamped to the pan by means of a bolt 26.

Formed with or carried by the valve casing 11 is a lug or projection 27 by which is carried a stationary shaft or stud 28 having its outer end tapered as best shown in Fig. 2 for a purpose to be described. Supported on the shaft or stud 28 is an operating member 29 including a depending counter weight 30. At the side of the shaft opposite the weight 30 the member 29 is connected with and supports a receptacle or pan 31, the parts being connected as by means of the piece I 32. Member 29 also includes an upwardly extending portion 33 having an upper surface 34 and being cut away on its rear edge to provide a shoulder 35 the function of which will later be explained in detail.

According to the present invention the receptacle 31 is arranged beneath the opening 10 in the pan '7 in a position to receive any oil or other liquid fuel passing through said'opening. It is when this pan receives a sufiicient quantity of fuel 50 that the weight of the pan over-balances the counter-weight 30 that the present cut-off or safety device operates. The receptacle 31 and the member 29 are connected together to move as a unit and this unit may be removed from the shaft 28 when the receptacle is to be emptied.

In order that the member 29 may be readily applied to and removed from the shaft 28 the said shaft is provided with a circular recess or groove 36 into which enters one arm 37 of a spring 38. The spring 38 is secured in the member 29 as at 39 and the arm 37 of the spring operates in a slot 40 in the member 29 whereby said arm 37 may enter the recess 36 in the shaft. It Will be seen that the arm 3'7 projects beyond the member 29 the projecting portion being designated4l and this portion forms a finger piece by means of which the arm may be depressed to move it out of the recess 36 when the member 29 is to be removed from the shaft 28. When reengaging the parts it is but necessary to align the opening in the member 29 with the tapered end of the shaft 28 and to then slide the member along the shaft as the said tapered end will act to depress the arm 37 of the spring 38 and said arm will return to its normal position as soon as it is disposed opposite the recess 36.

Also mounted on the lug 2'? is a control member or lever 42 pivotally secured as by means of a screw or bolt43. Obviously the detent 42 is pivoted forwardly of its center of gravity and will have a tendency to rock about its pivot in a clockwise direction. The detent includes an upwardly extending arm or portion 44, a rearwardly extending arm or portion 45 having a lateral extension 46, and secured to the portion 45 and carried thereby at the upper edge thereof is a block or stop lug 4'7. This lug 47 is secured to the arm 45 by means of fusible solder 48 and the purpose of this connection will later be fully described.

Rigidly secured to the end of the valve stem 21 is a lever 49, said lever being secured to said stem intermediate the ends of the lever and the lever including a depending portion 50 and an upwardly inclined portion 51. Portion 51 of the lever carries a weight 52 and as clearly shown in Fig. 1 when the parts are in their normal or set position the weight 52 is disposed to one side of the stem 21 which forms the axis of the lever 49, and should said lever be released it will be overbalanced by the weight 52 and the valve stem 21 will be moved in a counter clockwise direction resulting in the valve 18 being moved tightly onto its seat 19, thereby cutting off the flow of oil into the valve chamber 17 and thus to the burner.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the device includes but a few parts, the weight 30 being formed with and part of the member 29, simple means being provided for attaching the said member to the shaft 28. As a means to assist in supporting the receptacle 31 and to further cause it and the member 29 to -move as a unit a projection 53 is provided on the 1 and 2 with the end portion of the lower section of the lever 49 in engagement with the stop lug or block 47. The control member 42 is held against movement since its normal tendency is to move in a clockwise direction and this move- --ment will be prevented by engagement of the extension 46 with the shoulder 35 of the upwardly extending portion 33 of the member 29. Owing to the weight 30 member 29 also tends to move in a clockwise direction when pan 31 is empty and, therefore, the rear edge 33 of the portion 33 will be in engagement with the lug or extension 46 and movement of the member 29 will be arrested and the shoulder 35 will be maintained in the path of the extension 46 and will be engaged by the lower surface of this extension. Therefore, the lever 49 and its weight 52 will be held against movement in a counter clock-wise direction. As the parts are all firmly in engagement and as the pressure of arm 50 against lug 47 is in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of the pressure of extension 46 against shoulder 35 on lever 33 jars or vibrations ordinarily affecting these devices will not bring about a release of the lever 49 and the weight 52 will be prevented from acting unless something depresses the pan 31. In the old types of devices using a single catch, the adjustment is so delicate that jars or vibration caused by various means, such for example as passage of trucks or trolley cars, closing the furnace doors, blasting, etc., cause the catch to creep and in a short time release to permit the safety device to function to cut off the fuel, necessitating in most cases the sending of a service man to the premises to reset the safety cut off valve before the heating apparatus can again function. These objections are obviated in my improved device.

' These burners are ordinarily automatically controlled by a thermostat in a room of the dwelling to be heated, and as is well known these thermostats control means for alternately opening and closing a valve controlling flow of fuel to the burner as the temperature in the room changes. If after the thermostatic control or other means acts to cut off the supply of fuel and the burner thus extinguished the pilot light should be extinguished, or if when the thermostat again acts to turn on the supply of fuel the pilot light or other igniting means fail to act the oil will flow through the burner and be received in the tray or pan '7. From such tray or pan the oil will pass through opening 10 into the receptacle 31 and when the weight of this receptacle has been sufficiently increased, owing to the accumulation of oil in the receptacle, weight 30 will be overbalanced and the member 29 will move in a counter clockwise direction carrying the shoulder 35 out from beneath the extension 46 and thus permit the control member 42 to rock about its pivot 43 in a clockwise direction to remove lug 4'7 from engagement with arm 50 releasing the lever 49.

On the lever 49 being released it will of course, owing to the action of the Weight 52, move ina counter clockwise direction with the valve stem 21 as an axis turning the valve stem which will be fed longitudinally because of its threaded connection, resulting in the valve engaging tightly its seat 19 and shutting off the supply of fuel to the burner. To reset the device it is necessary first to remove the member 29 and the receptacle 31 from the stationary shaft 28 to empty it, it of course, being necessary to first depress the finger piece 41. After the receptacle 31 has been emptied the member 29 is again slipped over the shaft 28 and in order that the extension 46 will not abut against the edge of the shoulder portion 35 during this operation the said extension is tapered at the under side of its forward portion as indicated at 54.

After the member 29 is disposed on the shaft 28 the lever 49 may be rocked in a clockwise direction by grasping the weight 52 bringing the curved edge 55 of its lower portion into engagement with the upwardly directed extension 44 of the control member 42 (see Fig. 3) resulting in the control member being rocked in a counter clockwise direction whereby to elevate the extension 46 above the shoulder 35 which is moved to a position under the extension 46 by the weight 30. With the parts in this position when the weight is released the lever 49 will tend to move in a counter clockwise direction but such movement will be stopped by the lug 47 since the control member 42 will have only a limited clock-wise movement before its extension 46 engages the shoulder 35 and the parts will then again be in normal position.

It will, of course, be understood that but for the safety device as above described oil would continue to be passed to the burner and the ash pit of the furnace might become flooded and the oil might also get out onto the floor.

It is to be especially noted that as long as the trip pan 31 and its support 29 are removed from the stud 28 there is nothing to hold the weight 52 elevated and the cut oiT valve 18 open. Thus, this valve always remains closed and the operation of the burner prevented until the safety pan 31 is in position. If the householder did open the valve 18 when pan 31 was not in position the weight 52 would immediately close the valve as soon as released and the burner could not be operated until pan 31 is in position.

Should for any reason oil become ignited outside of the combustion chamber, the solder 48 will fuse and the lug 4'7 will be released from the rearward extension 45 of the control member 42 resulting in the release of the lever 49. Under these conditions the weight 52 would rock the lever 49 resulting in the valve 18 being moved onto its seat 19 and closing off the further flow of oil to the burner.

Throughout the specification I have described the device as used in connection with an oil burner, but this is merely for illustration as it may be used with any device where an automatic cut off for liquid is desired.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a valve for controlling the fiow of a fluid, a lever secured intermediate its ends to said valve, a weight on one end of said lever and adapted to operate the same to move the valve to closed position when the lever is released, a control member, said control member having a part to be engaged by the unweighted end of the lever to'hold the lever in normal position with the valve open, said control member pivoted to one side of its center of gravity and adapted to move about its pivot to release the lever, a weight operated member normally supporting said control member against movement about its pivot and adapted when operated to permit movement of the control member about its pivot to release the lever, and a projection on the control member adapted to be engaged by the lever on movement of the lever toward normal position whereby the control member will be swung back about its pivot into a position to reengage the weight operated member and resecure the parts in normal position.

2. In an automatic fluid cut-off, a valve to control flow of the fluid, means normally tending to move the valve to closed position, a control member for said means comprising a pivoted lever having a shoulder to be engaged by said means and a laterally extending lug having an inclined lower surface, a trip having a shoulder to engage said lug, a pivot stud for said trip having a peripheral groove, said trip having an opening to receive said stud, a weight on one side of said opening, a liquid receptacle on the other side of the opening, and a spring secured to the trip and having a free portion to seat in the groove, said incline on the lug being adapted to slide up the wall of the trip as it is slid onto the stud to shift the lever and permit placing the trip in position.

3. In combination with a valve for controlling the flow of a liquid, means normally tending to move the valve to a closed position, a movable arm connected with. said valve, a pivoted control member having a shoulder to engage said arm to hold the valve in the open position, a lug on the control member having upright and horizontal shoulders, a pivoted trip member having an extension provided with a notch forming an upright shoulder to engage the corresponding shoulder on the control member to limit movement of the trip member, said notch also providing a horizontal shoulder to engage under the horizontal shoulder on the control member to support it in the holding position, a receptacle secured to the trip member tending to move it to release the control member, and a weight counterbalancing the receptacle when empty to retain the latter shoulders in holding position.

4. In an automatic fluid cut oif, a valve, means tending to move the valve to closed position, a depending arm connected to the valve, 2. pivoted control member, a lug secured to said control member by a fusible solder and having an upright shoulder normally engaged by said arm to hold the valve in open position, a substantially horizontal shoulder on the control member, a

pivoted trip pro-vided with a shoulder to seat under said latter shoulder to normally support the control member elevated in the holding position, a receptacle connected with the trip tending to shift it to release the control member, and

a counterb-alancing weight normally retaining the trip in holding position.

5. In an automatic fluid out 01f, a valve, means tending to move the valve to closed position, an arm connected to the valve, a pivoted control member having an upright shoulder normally 1 engaged by said arm to hold the valve in open position, a substantially horizontal shoulder on the control member, a pivoted trip below the control member having an upright extension provided with a shoulder to seat under the second a 

